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The Sign-Off Table

Lesson 5 of 6

Calendar coordination

10 min

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A refresh touches three calendars: the transport calendar (what is in CMQ but not yet in CMP), the test calendar (which cycles need CMQ and when), and the business and project calendar (month-end, mock loads, cutover rehearsals). A refresh that ignores any of them either wipes out work in progress or delivers a system that is out of step with the release it is meant to test.

The transport baseline

After a system copy, CMQ's repository and configuration equal production's. Every transport that had been imported into CMQ but not yet into CMP is gone from CMQ. Before the copy, Basis captures that list from the CMQ import history and compares it with CMP; after the copy, those transports are imported again into CMQ in their original sequence. Only then does CMQ represent "production plus the next release", which is what testers need.

  1. FreezeStop new imports into CMQ a day before the copy
  2. CaptureList transports in CMQ that are not in CMP, in import order
  3. Copy and post-processProduction copied into CMQ; post-copy steps completed
  4. Re-importCaptured transports imported again into CMQ in the same order; return codes checked
  5. ResumeNormal transport flow into CMQ restarts; testers receive the system
Rebuilding the transport baseline around a refresh.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-bas-204

Two details cause most re-import problems. Transports that failed or were imported with errors in CMQ before the copy must be assessed, not blindly repeated; and transports that depend on each other must keep their order. Check the return codes after the re-import exactly as you would for a release: a warning that was accepted in the first import may hide an error now that the baseline is different.

Re-importing the captured transports is a release in miniature: keep the order, assess earlier failures and check every return code.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-bas-204

Fitting the test calendar

Refresh between cycles, not inside one. Test data prepared for a cycle (reserved orders, stock, open items) must be created after the refresh, so allow time for it. Defects open at the time of the refresh need a note: retests will run on a different data baseline, and some may no longer reproduce for that reason alone.

  1. Friday 18:00Freeze and captureImports to CMQ stopped; transport list and target settings exported
  2. SaturdayCopyProduction backup restored into CMQ; isolation steps
  3. SundayPost-copyLicense, BDLS, RFC destinations, partners, jobs, scrambling
  4. Monday morningRe-import and test dataCaptured transports re-imported; test data scripts run
  5. Monday 14:00HandoverSmoke checklist passed; Priya's regression cycle starts Tuesday
A weekend refresh plan for CMQ. Durations depend on database size and runbook maturity.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-bas-204

Business and project events

  1. Is a Wave 2 mock load or a cutover rehearsal using CMQ in the window?Yes → move the refresh; a copy would wipe the mock-loaded data and the evidence · No → next question
  2. Does the business need CMQ for month-end or audit checks that week?Yes → agree a different slot with the process owners · No → next question
  3. Is production stable (no emergency change in progress)?Yes → confirm the slot · No → wait, so CMQ does not copy a half-fixed state
Checks before confirming a refresh date.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-bas-204

Lead time matters as much as the date. A production backup must exist and be accessible, the runbook must be reviewed, and in a RISE environment the copy itself is often a service request to SAP with its own lead time and window, so check your service description and book early. Allow a buffer between the planned handover and the start of the test cycle: the first refreshes of a landscape nearly always overrun.

The messages around a refresh: early booking and announcements let testers plan instead of discovering a wiped system.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-bas-204

What would you do?

Luis proposes refreshing CMQ next weekend. Priya's team is midway through a Wave 2 mock load into company code 1910 in CMQ, with reconciliation planned for Monday. What should Sam recommend?

Key points
  • Coordinate the transport, test and business calendars before setting a refresh date.
  • Freeze imports, capture CMQ-only transports, and re-import them after the copy in order.
  • Refresh between test cycles; rebuild test data after the copy.
  • Never refresh over a mock load or rehearsal whose evidence is still needed.

Check your understanding · not graded

Lesson check

  1. 1. Which transports must be re-imported into CMQ after a system copy from CMP?

  2. 2. When should a refresh happen relative to a test cycle?

  3. 3. Why stop imports into CMQ before the copy?

  4. 4. A mock load is in progress in CMQ. What happens to the refresh?